Chapter 4

The two of them sat in a car as the eyepatched woman decided to take them for a ride.

"So, Makima said you claimed to be fast," Himeno asked as she drove. "Hope you're not fast at everything, or you won't find anyone willing to settle down with you."

"If you want to know, you'll have to find out for yourself," he replied slowly.

"What?" She nearly hit the brakes.

"I said yes," Sam replied, glancing out the window. "Remind me again, what are we doing today, boss?"

He examined his new appearance - sharp black eyes, pitch-black hair, and fair skin.

Himeno reached into her pocket and pulled out a cigarette. "I'll test you first, assess your pros and cons. See if there's something that needs improvement. The answer better not be everything. By the way, are you familiar with weapons?"

"No, but I'd like to use swords," Sam said.

"Swords… So you're like Aki," she sighed.

"Aki who?" he asked.

"My previous partner," she replied as she lit her cigarette.

"Partner as in... married?" Sam inquired. 'Took pretending ignorance to the next level.'

She chuckled. "No, idiot. When someone from law enforcement talks about their partner, they mean someone they work with."

"Hey, just making sure," he shrugged.

"Anyway, let's stop here before heading to our destination."

"I'll wait in the car."

"No, I insist you come with me."

She opened the door and stepped out. Sam followed her, realizing they were heading to a graveyard. It was sprawling. She stood in front of a group of graves.

"I don't think there's a devil here," Sam commented.

"That's not what I want to show you," she said, her gaze still fixed on the graves. "Look. You know what these are?"

"Graves," Sam replied, a pang of discomfort in his stomach.

"Yes. Many used to belong to my partners, and others to fellow devil hunters," she said, lighting another cigarette. "There are more graves across the country."

"This isn't a job for kids like you. You don't want to end up here. Go home, find a job, work your way up slowly, pay your debts, and do whatever you want."

'As if I don't want to do this. But, you know, the Control Devil.' He shrugged. "Hey, even if I did what you're saying, a random devil could kill me at any moment. So, I don't see much difference in any life."

Himeno placed a hand on his shoulder and asked again, "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Sam replied.

However, deep down inside, he wasn't so sure.

In his past life, he had parents, friends, a job, and a couple of girlfriends.

Just when luck had finally smiled at him, he found himself as a soon-to-be devil's meal.

Intense fear and stress had prevented him from grieving. He faced a mental breakdown and a strong denial that made him laugh like crazy. His only thought was how to escape. Then, he was forced to play along with Makima.

Was he truly sure he wanted to become a Devil Hunter? Not now, and not when he'd chosen his class. But it had seemed convenient at the time he'd made his choices.

"Let's not focus on me. Why are you still hunting devils?"

"I don't have to answer you," she retorted, sticking her tongue out at him. After walking past him, she said, "Get in the car."

"Sure thing, boss," Sam said lifelessly as he followed her into the car.

-x-X-x-

Sam and Himeno stood in a spacious yard.

"So, all I need to do is run until I can't anymore?" Sam asked.

"Yes," she replied, holding a stopwatch. "Honestly, I'm still doubting how you managed to escape. If you're honest, you won't mind."

"You know, back then, I had something called adrenaline," he replied.

"Really. In that case, how about I give you a boost?" She moved her hand.

Though there was a considerable distance between them, he felt fingers brush against his cheek.

Sam tried to touch the nonexistent hand but couldn't. Instead, he sensed something devilish about it.

"It's the hand of the devil I made contact with, the Ghost Devil. I'll release its power on you." She grinned. "Boo!"

Sam didn't know what happened, but he began running as if there were no tomorrow, the wind rushing against his face. Out of fear, he activated his skill, Wind Footwork.

[Wind Footwork upgraded to Level 2]

[Speed increased by 25%]

He realized it had gone up by five percent, even as the wind howled around him. Strangely, there was no wind, just his incredible speed.

After five minutes, not feeling tired at all, he turned to Himeno and asked, "Is that enough?"

"No. Keep going at your top speed until your stamina runs out."

"Seriously?"

Sam kept running and running. Even after his MP was depleted, he continued.

However, he noticed something peculiar.

He wasn't panting. He didn't feel tired or the need to stop.

'I'm like a gaming character. I can run indefinitely.' Sam Lee scratched his head, turning to Himeno, who was sitting nearby, smoking and reading a magazine. 'Is this woman mocking me?'

"Hey, are we done or what?"

"You can be direct. Impressive stamina. High speed. But you can't sustain it for more than 10 minutes," she said. "There's something definitely unnatural about your body. Makima said you even heal instantly from wounds."

"My metabolism is just unnatural. I found out recently," Sam said as he sat down beside her.

"Who told you that you could rest?"

"I'm hungry," he lied. "Although I'm not physically exhausted, I am mentally."

"Fine. I'll keep going then," she said, pointing to her cigarette.

"You know, smoking will kill you one day," Sam said, sitting down. Strangely, he didn't even break a sweat.

"Do you think I'll live long enough to see that day?" she replied. "Hopefully, I might."

"Come on. You're still young, pretty, and you'll find someone to settle down with before becoming a grandma," Sam retorted.

"You have no idea what devil hunting is like," she shot back, almost glaring at him.

'Why is she so gloomy?' Sam wasn't sure what to do, so he lay down.

"By the way, your training starts tomorrow. With your excellent healing abilities, I think you won't mind if we push the limits," she said.

A somber expression crossed Sam's face. "Do I look like a masochist to you?"

"I'll take that as a yes," she replied, standing up. "Let me take you home."